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Under plans, 20,000 regular soldiers are set to be cut by 2018, with around 15,000 extra reservists to fill the void.

Ms Soubry has now said that sites which had been set for the axe will be reassessed.

In her letter Ms Soubry said: “I understand your concern about the future of reserves in your constituency following the proposed withdrawal by December 2016. The long-term future of the site in Burton is yet to be determined.

“However, we are looking carefully at the basing announcements that were made with regard to the reserve.

“Be assured that the Army is aware of the recruiting levels and if we see units are recruiting well, we may be prepared to take that into account before final decisions are made.”

Mr Griffiths described Ms Soubry’s remarks as a ‘potential lifeline’ for the centre, saying: “This is a chink of light – a potential lifeline for the future of the centre.

“The TA centre is not only the home of reservists but also for cadet forces which are key to recruitment.”